Jonboy – Handmade, Organic Caramels

When I mention caramels, I know that too many of you envision those hard, dried-up little squares in the grocery store — those are not what I’m talking about. I mean caramels. Soft, fresh, and chewy, with the lovely flavors of butter and cream and slowly-browned sugar. If you haven’t had any caramels like this lately, you’re suffering from RGCDD (Really Good Caramel Deficiency Disorder). This country is in the grasp of a positive epidemic of this malady! Can no one save us from our predicament?

Enter modern-day confectionary heroes Jonathan Sue and Jason Alm, the founders of Jonboy Caramels. These business partners have set up shop out Seattle way, concocting some of the most delightful caramels I’ve had in a long time from locally-sourced heavy cream, organic butter, organic sugar, and, surprisingly, no corn syrup (they use organic brown rice syrup instead).

Jonboy Caramels currently come in two flavors: Fleur de Sel & Molasses Ginger.

The caramels are available in two flavors at this writing: Fleur de Sel and Molasses Ginger. The former are buttery, creamy, and sweet, while the latter have a perfect balance of molasses and spice (not an easy matter to achieve). Both varieties are gently chewy before melting in your mouth, leaving the lingering taste of salt. These caramels are smallish oblongs, each hand-wrapped in unbleached parchment paper; they’d be downright rustic if they didn’t have such an elegant taste. Incidentally, the caramels are packaged in recycled cardboard gift boxes… a nice touch.

Currently, there’s no storefront, but you can purchase Jonboy Caramels in several ways. They’re sold at a number of Farmers Markets in Washington State, including those in Ballard, Madrona, and Wallingford (as participation in such markets can change, it would be best to contact the company to be sure before making a special trip).

Jonboy Caramels can be found at several Seattle-area Farmers Markets, at select Whole Foods and at the company’s own online store.

You can also buy Jonboy Caramels in several area stores, including the Whole Foods Market on West 15^th in Seattle. Follow @jonboycaramels on Twitter to find out where they will be next. Don’t live near Seattle? No worries! Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can have these caramels shipped directly to you. More information is available on the website. Try some of these wondrous confections, and you’ll never be a victim of RGCDD again!